Champion Dallas Mavericks, Lamar Odom cut ties | NBA

Originally published April 9, 2012 at 10:50 pm
Updated April 10, 2012 at 1:01 am

Lamar Odom and the Dallas Mavericks are done with each other. The league's reigning Sixth Man of the Year and the defending champions — who are trying to make sure they get back to the playoffs — made it clear the partnership is over after an underwhelming 50-game stint.

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks and Lamar Odom are done with each other.

The league’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year and the defending champions — who are trying to make sure they get back to the playoffs — made it clear Monday the partnership is over after an underwhelming 50-game stint.

Odom, previously with the Los Angeles Lakers, never seemed happy or comfortable in Dallas, even when Khloe Kardashian, his wife and reality TV co-star, was in the stands. His averages of 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 20.5 minutes with the Mavericks were career lows and he was booed at home games.

“We’ve got to be able to look down that bench and count on folks to be consistent,” Dallas general manager Donnie Nelson said. “Unfortunately with him in his state right now, he’s just not capable of doing that. I say that with his best interest in mind. He’s going through a very, very tough personal time.”

During the lockout last summer, Odom’s 24-year-old cousin was murdered. Days later, Odom was involved in a fatal car accident that killed a teen pedestrian after the car he was riding in as a passenger collided with a motorcycle.

According to The Dallas Morning News, Odom also had other family issues that have not been disclosed and required him to take off 10 days in late February and early March.

Odom will be on the inactive list and not play again for the Mavericks, who are tied for seventh in the Western Conference standings with nine games left in the regular season.

Odom, 32, agreed with Nelson it was a mutual decision for him to step away.

“I’m sorry that things didn’t work out better for both of us,” Odom told ESPN.com.

Nelson said the decision wasn’t made sooner because there was hope at some point “the light goes on” for Odom. But that never happened.

Asked if the Mavericks felt cheated by Odom, Nelson insisted they didn’t “because the player that he was last year, there’s reasons for that not happening this year, some of which none of us will know.”

Dallas guard Jason Terry, a graduate of Franklin High School in Seattle, said, “It’s always tough to adjust to a new situation.

“And for whatever reason, it didn’t work out for him. We wish him the best. He’s a great dude.”

Odom has a year left on his four-year contract and the Mavericks reportedly will try to trade him. Any team that has him on its roster June 29 must give him a $2.4 million buyout or be responsible for the full $8.2 million he would be due for the 2012-13 season.

San Antonio standouts Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, who average a combined 46.8 points, didn’t make the trip because coach Gregg Popovich wanted them to rest.

The Spurs (40-15) are a game behind leader Oklahoma City in the Western Conference standings. San Antonio plays three games in four days, starting with the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, and thus Popovich called it a “no brainer” to rest Duncan, Parker and Ginobili.

• Denver rookie Kenneth Faried had career highs of 27 points and 17 rebounds as the host Nuggets routed Golden State 123-84.

“I had one (point) and four (rebounds) last game, and that’s not my game at all,” Faried said. “I’m a very energetic guy.”

Ex-Washington State standout Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 17 points and former Washington Huskies guard Nate Robinson added 16.